Springtime in the City of Salt Lake

         Well hello there!  As you've probably noticed, we've updated the look of our blog-  it is now pretty snazzy lookin',  if I do say so myself.   It's been fun to fiddle around with photos and blog templates and typefaces and the like.  I hope you like it!

        Here are a few pictures from our more domesticated lifestyle.  Enjoy now, because by the end of the week, we'll be back in the van!

Liberty Heights Lunch         

         My wonderful parents sent me a gift certificate to Liberty Heights Fresh, (a gourmet grocery store) for my birthday.  Cody and I indulged-  good hard sausage, smoked chevre, nougat with almonds, Castelvetrano olives, a young Pecorino Romano cheese, delicious crusty bread, and one other soft cheese that I've forgotten the name of.  The name card described it thusly:  "If Creme Fraiche and Monterey Jack had a wild night on the California coast, this cheese would be their lovechild."  A fairly accurate description of this wonderfully soft and slightly tangy cheese.  I washed it all down with my new favorite fizzy drink, a lavender DRY soda.   Yum.    See what wonderful folks I have?  Thanks Mom and Dad!     

  

  

Out with the old, in with the new!

So, last summer, at the International Climbers' Festival, held annually in Lander, Wyoming, Cody did 27 pull-ups in the pull-up contest, and won!  His prize?  A gift certificate for a brand new pair of Acopa climbing shoes.  Since, my shoes were in such a sorry state, (note the completely blown out left toe!), and because he's such a nice guy, he gave me the gift certificate.  And look at those shiny new shoes!  Do you think,  if I click my heels three times and make a wish, it'll come true?  Maybe I'll be able to climb as hard as this gal.   

The view from our living room

           Spring has tentatively sprung here in Salt Lake.  It's  hesitant to stick around, and keeps reverting to thunderstorms, and there's fresh snow on the mountains, but the tulips and trees are blooming, and that's enough proof for me.   I've worn shorts and flip flops a few times, but also my raincoat and a warm hoodie.  The weather has been like the Revolutionary War lately. We all know that the warm weather is going to win out in the end, but there are some days, when, gosh, the British have lots of ships, and lots men, and those cannonballs are landing awfully close to the troops at Bunker Hill.  Yikes.  But it's okay, because I know, from previous experience, that summer follows spring.  So I remain optimistic in the face of late April snowstorms.  

   I hope you're all enjoying the spring weather where you are.   Cody and I have had a wonderful and productive stay in Salt Lake.  However, we both feel like it's time we moseyed along.  We're pointing the van towards Joe's Valley this Saturday.  We can't wait to get back to our vagabond ways!  The dream lives!  Onward!

    

Life in SLC

I apologize for my recent inactivity on the blog! Let's bring you all up to speed on recent events in our world.

After we left Hueco, we headed to Las Vegas with our good friends PJ and Sarah Mannion, as we mentioned in our last post. It was a great trip, but some bad weather sent us packing after a few days. We headed to Salt Lake City, where we decided to settle down for a little while, find some work, and take a break from the nomadic lifestyle.

We camped out on the Mannion's den floor for a few days while searching for an apartment and work. We finally found a great little place with a month to month lease, and set about moving in- acquiring some basic furniture, dishes, etc. We were still on the lookout for jobs, but with the economy the way it is, there weren't that many jobs to be had. So, being creatures of habit, we ended up back at the jobs we had the last time we lived in Salt Lake. I'm working the front desk at The Front Climbing Club, and Cody is working with John Stack and Vertical Solutions, building the new Front Climbing Club in Ogden.

We did take one little trip after arriving in Salt Lake- we headed to Bishop, CA with some friends for their spring break. We had some great weather, and got some good climbing in on the pristine buttermilk granite, and enjoyed the variety offered by the Volcanic Tablelands nearby.

We soaked in the hot springs in the evenings, ate too much at Erick Schat's Bakkery, and generally enjoyed the company of good friends in a familiar and lovely place. (I will admit, the trip made us wonder what we had been thinking when we moved back to SLC...).

Cody climbing at the Happy Boulders, spotted by our good friend Brian Dunnohew.

Rory, the little westie I befriended at the Happy Boulders.

(Isn't he cute?!)

METAL!

Our buddy Ian. He ran around the boulders in this getup, yelling "METAL!" and climbing hard things. A good reminder that most climbers take themselves waaaay to seriously.

We're back in Salt Lake now, working mostly. It is fun to live in a place where we have lots of friends and things to do. Working helps put the fun in perspective- After spending so much time without an agenda, without work or rent or nagging to-do lists, I begun to take all the fun for granted. Now, working 40 hours a week, paying the rent and trying to put a little aside for later, I can't wait to ditch town again- to move back in the van and spend my days seeking out the best climbs, the best weather, and the company of faraway friends.

At the beginning of the month Cody and I gave our landlord 30 days notice. We're outta here again at the end of the month! I think we'll head to Wyoming, to Laramie for some trad climbing, if Vedauwoo is thawed out by then. If not, we'll go south and wait for the warmer spring weather to arrive. We've got enough money for the summer, so why spend more time working? We're young and unattached. Carpe Diem! Gather ye rosebuds while ye may! Live the Dream, I say!